Autumny Roasted Pumpkin Risotto

What is better than nutritious and delicious risotto? One that features caramelized, roasted pumpkin of course! This risotto is fragrant and savoury, perfect for any autumn occasion. Also, the ingredients are quite cheap and the risotto will taste delicious, whether you eat it on a date night or your casual weekday dinner! Join in to make the most satisfying roasted pumpkin risotto!

While this risotto (plant-based as it is) is no traditional Italian recipe, it is a tasty spin I enjoy making a lot. As this is a fairly simple recipe involving only a few ingredients, I’d recommend going for high-quality ingredients, as this will influence the outcome of the dish tremendously. So, let’s get started!

What Pumpkins Work Well for this Recipe: 

If you can get your hands on Italian pumpkins like Maria di Chioggia, go for them, they will taste amazing in this roasted pumpkin risotto. With these thicker-skinned pumpkins, you should peel them before adding them to the risotto. I am using Hokkaido today, which works fantastic for this dish too.

Ingredients for Roasted Pumpkin Risotto:

• Risotto rice
• Pumpkin
• Vegetable stock
• Onion
• Rosemary
• Garlic
• Vegan white wine
• Vegan butter substitute
• Olive oil
• Nutritional yeast

As said, the quality of the ingredients really makes or breaks this type of dish. I’d especially recommend using good olive oil when cooking risotto and using homemade vegetable stock. I have linked you my recipe on how to make delicious vegetable stock at home, it adds so much flavour.

Pumpkin Risotto Recipe:

Roasting the Pumpkin

First, let’s take care of our pumpkin. I don’t mind the bit of texture coming from the peel in the risotto, and the peel adds lots of great nutty flavours. If you are not a fan of this, you can also decide to peel the pumpkin before roasting. In any case, take the seeds out, and chop the pumpkin into rough bits. Toss some olive oil, salt and pepper over them, and place them on your baking tray.

Put them in the oven at 190° degrees (374° Fahrenheit), and give them a good roast. Don’t forget to toss them around at half-time for an even roast. This step may take up to 40 minutes, depending on the size of your pumpkin bits. You want the pumpkin to be completely soft, with a nice caramelization.

While the pumpkin is getting all toasty in the oven, it is time to prepare your risotto.

Making the Risotto:

Chop your onion to fine bits, as well as your garlic. Heat a mix of a good dash of olive oil with some plant-based butter in your pot. Now, add your fresh rosemary, gently fry them until turning crispy, and infuse all its great flavour into the oil. If you are using dried rosemary, you can also add them now. Be careful not to burn the rosemary, especially when using dried bits. 

Take out the fresh rosemary if you used it. There will be enough flavour in the oil. Set the crispy rosemary aside for your final garnish. If using dried ones, you can just continue with the cooking process. Now it is time to add your chopped onion. Sauté the onion until translucent, then add the garlic. Continue sauteing until you start to see a light colouration on the onion. Now, it is time to add your risotto rice. Allow the risotto rice to toast for a couple of minutes before deglazing your pot with a splash of white wine.

Now, add the first cup of vegetable stock. It should be just enough liquid to cover your rice. Let the rice take up that flavour while stirring continuously.

Continue adding stock after the rice has absorbed the liquid. Check for seasoning, and add salt as needed. Once the rice has reached an al dente consistency (you want the texture to remain but a lot of creaminess), add the roasted pumpkin and stir well, with a little splash of white wine. Now, take the pot off the heat, and let’s finish up the Risotto.

During that step, I like to add some nutritional yeast for a cheesy and rich flavour. Add a bit more olive oil and plant-based butter to bring everything together, and stir well until reaching the desired creamy consistency. You can then plate the risotto and garnish it with toasted rosemary or with some finely chopped flat-leaf parsley. Extra virgin olive oil, flakey salt, or a good crack of black pepper are fantastic garnishes too. There you go, now enjoy that delicious roasted pumpkin risotto!

Some more Recipe Inspirations:

• Do you enjoy these recipes? You might also like this delicious spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino!
• If you are a pumpkin fan, this simple 7-ingredient pumpkin soup might be something for you as well!
• Check out this nice vegan layered risotto!
• Vibrant green spinach risotto is a fantastic dish as well!
• Ever had spaghetti alla puttanesca?
• This vegan mushroom risotto is one of my all-time favorites!

I hope you liked this roasted pumpkin risotto recipe! Let me know what you think and have fun!